Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang
| Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang | |
|---|---|
秦始皇陵 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi |
| Country | China |
| Coordinates | 34°22′54″N 109°15′14″E / 34.38167°N 109.25389°E |
| Website | |
| bmy.com.cn | |
| Official name | Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, iii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1987 (11th session) |
| Reference no. | 441 |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
The Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (Chinese: 秦始皇陵; pinyin: Qínshǐhuáng Líng) is a tomb complex constructed for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Chinese Qin dynasty. It is located in modern-day Lintong District in Xi'an, Shaanxi. It was constructed over 38 years from 246 to 208 BC, and is situated underneath a 76-metre-tall (249 ft) tomb mound shaped like a truncated pyramid. The layout of the mausoleum is modeled on the layout of Xianyang, the capital of the Qin dynasty, which was divided into inner and outer cities. The circumference of the inner city is 2.5 km (1.6 mi) and the outer is 6.3 km (3.9 mi). The tomb is located in the southwest of the inner city and faces east. The main tomb chamber housing the coffin and burial artifacts is the core of the architectural complex of the mausoleum.
The tomb itself has not yet been excavated. Archaeological explorations currently concentrate on various sites of the extensive necropolis surrounding the tomb, including the Terracotta Army to the east of the tomb mound. The Terracotta Army served as a garrison to the mausoleum and has yet to be completely excavated.